Yes, the iPhone 5 will indeed house a bigger 4.0-inch screen with an elongated 16:9 aspect ratio. On the physical side of things, the device is lighter (20%, to be exact) and 18% thinner than the iPhone 4S despite its fully glass/aluminum-covered exterior. The longer screen means that Apple is able to add a 5th row of icons. All of Apple's software and apps have been updated for the new screen size and resolution, while a little time will be needed for third-party developers to update their apps accordingly.

Of course, it is unlikely that we will get to take a look at the iPhone 5 first-hand for quite some time but its screen has been touted by Apple to be "the most accurate display in the industry" with touch sensors integrated right into the display itself. The A6 chip is touted to be two times faster than the A5 chip found in the 4S; while no light has been shed on how it will fair against its quad-core competitors, we are fairly sure that it would hold up well performance-wise.

The fact that iPhone 5 will come with a smaller 19-pin dock connector (named "Lightning") is no startling news as reputable sources have confirmed it earlier on. Apple has mentioned that it is currently working on accessories, like an adapter, for gadgets that are compatible with the 30-pin connector. The connector is not the only component that has been downsized of course - the 8-megapixel camera on the iPhone 5 is said to be 25% smaller but even more productive and effective.

Last but not least, the iPhone 5 will come with support for both LTE and DC-HSDPA networks that are supported locally too. In typical iPhone fashion, the iPhone 5 will be available in two shades, black/slate and white/silver.

Pricing and Availability

As reported earlier, the iPhone 5 is said to be available on the 21st of September in Singapore, a little over a week from now. This has been confirmed with Apple's announcement - Singapore will indeed be one of the first nine countries to get their hands on the device on the 21st with pre-orders starting on the 14th. Apple will later roll out the device worldwide to 22 more countries on the 28th of September, including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The iPhone 5 will be available in Singapore for a suggested retail price of S$948 (16GB), S$1088 (32GB) and S$1,238 (64GB). You can get one from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com/sg) as well as at select Apple authorized resellers.

And for those mourning the loss of the iPhone 3GS, well, you got it right - it is officially taken off the line. Nonetheless, both iPhone 4 (8GB only) and iPhone 4S will still be available for sale. The iPhone 4S will be available for a suggested retail price of S$788, while the iPhone 4 will be going at a suggested retail price of S$588. These new price points more than make up the loss of the iPhone 3GS, which is showing its age now.